Cornell University’s oldest a capella group ‘permanently dismissed’ for ‘dangerous and humiliating’ hazing

Cornell University announced the group would be disbanded after an investigation uncovered "dangerous" hazing practices. (Picasa 2.0/Wikimedia Commons)

The oldest a capella group at Cornell University was "permanently dismissed" after an administrative review uncovered hazing practices that date back at least 10 years.

School officials on Wednesday announced the university, located in Upstate New York, disbanded the all-male group, Cayuga Waiters, after an investigation revealed "new members and non-senior members of the organization were subjected to systemic hazing activities" throught fall 2015 and spring 2016 semesters.

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Those activities included "requiring new members to sit naked in an ice bath in a bathroom during an organization trip; apply Icy Hot to their genitals; and race up and down a street and then consume foods," according to a hazing report on Cornell's website.

The Cayuga Waiters were suspended last September when the allegations first surfaced.

Over the course of the investigation, the a capella group self-disclosed "more-severe" instances of hazing, stretching back more than 10 years, according to the report. What's more, the group also admitted alumni members would return to participate in the hazing rituals.

Cornell Interim President Hunter Rawlings said he supported the decision.

"I agree with the (University Hearing Board) that hazing violations in this case are 'extremely serious, dangerous and humiliating,'" he said in a statement. "This behavior has no place at Cornell, and I agree with the (University Review Board) that dismissal of the organization is appropriate."

The Cayuga Waiters have released 25 albums since they were first founded as a subset of the Cornell Glee Club in 1949, according to the Cornell Sun. They're particularly known for "We Didn't Go to Harvard" — a parody of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire," produced in the mid-'90s.

"We (the University) recognize that this organization has a deep history at Cornell," Senior Director of Media Relations John Carberry wrote in a statement. "Still we must act powerfully to protect the current and future students of this University when violations of the Campus Code of Conduct are established through application of the Code's procedures."